Pentagon warns Russia and China may use laser weapons against US satellites

A Pentagon's new report on threats to the security of space note that China and Russia develop technology that could aim to end US pre-eminence in the area. These technologies include laser weapons to destroy the American satellites.

"China and Russia, in particular, are developing a ways to exploit what they perceive as the trust of the United States in space systems and they challenge the country's position in the space, "detailed the report of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), published on Monday, February 11 under the title "Challenges of security in space". The document badyzes the Spatial capabilities of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

"The United States satellites play a central role in everything that makes navigation, arming and intelligence gatheringCNN said by revealing the contents of the report, which includes monitoring the nuclear weapons program Pyongyang and the observation of Russian and Chinese military activities. "They also have sensors involved in the detection of enemy missile launches"

The text refers to Anti-satellite weapons from Russia and China, including electronic warfare systems, targeted weapons and "kinetic" anti-nuclear missiles. The two countries, he added, are probably "investigating" "laser weapons to alter, degrade or damage satellites and their sensors".

The detailed DIA: "China will probably deploy a terrestrial laser weapon capable of countering space sensors in low Earth orbit by 2020and by mid-to-late 2020, it could deploy more powerful systems that further threaten satellite structures with non-optical sensors. "For the moment, he badessed, Beijing "may already have limited capacity to use laser systems against satellite sensors".

By 2018, Russia would have already sent to its aerospace force a laser weapon probably destined for antisatellite missions. "Russia is also developing an anti-satellite laser overhead weapon to be used against missile sensors located in space".

In addition to directed energy laser weapons, China has in operation a missile capable of attacking low-Earth orbiting satellites around the Earth, while Russia is still developing it, the document added. "China has also formed military units that have started training with anti-satellite missiles."

Finally, the text cautioned that these two countries are also developing "inspection and service" satellites which could, however, be used for Perform attacks on other satellites in orbit.